Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the pro-life movement has experienced a series of losses at the state level. Now, another threat to the cause of life has emerged in Florida. A proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to overturn the state’s current 15-week limit just received enough signatures to appear on the ballot later this year.
If the ballot measure passes, it would not only end Florida’s current abortion law but would also disallow any other restrictions on abortion before “viability.” Even then, the proposal would allow abortion if a “healthcare provider” deems it “necessary” to protect a “patient’s health.” (READ MORE: Biden’s Pro-Abortion Campaign Might Just Work)
As no definitions of “health” or “healthcare provider” are included, pro-life advocates warn that the vague language of the proposal could, in practice, allow for an unlimited right to abortion up until birth.
The Florida Supreme Court must approve the proposed amendment before Floridians can vote on it. The court will hear oral arguments on the matter on Feb. 7.
A Pro-Life Strategy in Florida
Ohio passed Issue 1 in November, which also declared pre-viability abortion a right. Several other states, including Michigan, have likewise voted in favor of abortion since 2022.
In light of these disappointing losses, how are pro-life leaders strategizing for the future?
Pro-life speaker and author Scott Klusendorf contends that the movement must face the reality that support for abortion is “deeply entrenched in the culture.” Klusendorf argues that to “position ourselves for eventual political victory,” pro-life Americans must address abortion on a “worldview level” with a persuasive case that gets to the heart of human value.
Experienced activists agree, saying that pro-lifers must embrace the clash of values in the abortion debate by engaging directly with the issue, rather than shying away.
Allie Frazier of Teen Pro-Lifers, who was a leading advocate against Ohio’s Issue 1, told The American Spectator that “pro-life advocates in Florida should be unafraid to take voter’s hard questions head-on.”
Christen Polo, the executive director of Protect Life Michigan, a group that led the fight against Michigan’s pro-abortion Proposal 3, also embraces a persuasive approach to voter education. She calls it the “most effective strategy.” “When you expose abortion,” asserted Polo, “it protests itself.”
The fate of Florida’s unborn children is uncertain, but the work of the pro-life movement is clear: speak boldly and directly to the questions that divide Americans on abortion.